Shockwaves
by Jupe-san
Summary: [KxK] Kenshin is ripped from the spiritual realm and tossed to Earth to die. However, things don't turn out as planned when one Kamiya Kaoru finds a certain redheaded ethereal being in her dojo yard...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters in any way, shape, or form. I just like to borrow them for personal gratification. C:

I.E. I have no money, I earn no money from this, and if you sue me you will get no money. So shut up and read the story.

.:Prologue:.

_He could only watch in horror, the cross mark on his cheek still fresh and binding his powers, as they murdered her, carefully, slowly, mind-numbingly painfully. Her soulful black eyes locked with his, staring at him with a mixture of agony, sorrow, and accusation. If only he'd been there when the Corruption tried to break through the barrier, if only he'd waited for backup before rushing out to save her, if only he'd been stronger and smarter than to fall into this trap..._

_A wave of unknown feeling bubbled up inside of him, a powerful, twisted, corrupted feeling so unlike the pure, idealistic thoughts he had always harbored. The new emotion threatened to override his senses and create unspeakable evil, and he tried to stamp it out before it could cause irreversible damage._

_But he was not strong enough, without his powers, to put a damper on his new-found hatred._

_Eyes burning with the before unfelt emotion, he let out a feral screech and felt the waves of anger rush from his being, the shockwaves of pure power destroying all they touched._

_Several precious moments later, he calmed himself, feeling for the mark on his cheek, and found it scarred over. As long as his life energy wasn't seeping from it, he would have at least some control over himself and his powers. The thought brought his mind back to reality, and he swept the clearing with his narrowed gaze, ignoring the disintegrating corrupt spirits in his search for _her.

_And then he found her, mutilated beyond hope of recovery, the shock of his anger stealing her last breaths even as he looked on in horror. He rushed to her side, cradling her tortured form against his as tears of anger, frustration and despair poured from his now amber eyes. One last glance, she spared one last glance at him, and smiled. It was a sad smile, the sort that said that it was all over and things would never be the same, but it was still a smile. Her eyes dimmed, the spark of life snuffed out, and she fell limp in his arms._

_He was allowed one last scream of agony, her name torn from his lips, before he was ripped from the spiritual realm and cast to Earth, where he knew death awaited him._

'_Tomoe... I'm sorry...'_

--

Woohoo, new story from Jupe!

Not certain where I got the idea for this- I was lying on my bed studying how to simplify circuits, of all things, when I was suddenly attacked by a rabid plotbunny.

I have a shortage of plotbunnies, so when this one latched on to my leg, I scrambled over to the computer and wrote two pages of outline/notes, a summary, and then this prologue.

Hoorah for plotbunnies. :D

And yes, thank you Misaoshiru. I love my beta/cohort.

First chapter already written + beta'd- I'll post it sometime this week, hopefully around the time chapter 2 is written. C:


	2. Acquaintance

**Disclaimer:** Money? You want money? So sorry, Jupe has no money. She also doesn't own Kenshin or Kaoru or anybody else from Rurouni Kenshin. We shall all worship Watsuki-sama for creating such loveable, stealable characters.

--

.:Chapter 1:.

Kaoru hummed to herself as she strode towards her dojo, bokken resting on one shoulder.

It was an absolutely glorious day.

A crisp winter wind played with her hair before swirling through the air and tossing snowflakes around haphazardly, leaving a flurry of white powder in its wake. Lazy white clouds crawled through the impossibly blue sky above her, the brightly shining sun partially blocked by white puffs.

At times like these, when the world seemed so happy and perfect, she could almost forget that there was a bastard soiling her dojo's name with murder, that she was alone in the world except for the kind presence of doctor Gensai.

The thought quickly dampened her mood, and her humming stopped as she slouched over, wishing that life was different. Listlessly, she unlocked the dojo gate and stepped into the yard, closing the gate behind her.

Something was...off.

She could feel it, her years of kenjutsu study pricking the back of her mind as she scanned the dojo yard. Someone was here.

Her gaze settled on a flash of red sprawled across the ground, and she walked towards it quickly, bokken at the ready.

It was a man.

While there were no visible wounds on him except for an especially nasty looking scar on his left cheek, he seemed to be in deep pain. Dozens of questions sprang to her mind, but she pushed them aside and set about the task of dragging the man into the dojo, protective instincts kicking in.

He was surprisingly light. Too light. It was almost as though he weighed nothing at all. The thought had her eyes narrowing again, as did the sword he had tucked through his hakama ties.

So, he was a swordsman. Why was a swordsman so utterly exhausted and hurt, and why did he weigh next to nothing?

And where had he gotten that angry red scar?

She sighed. He was obviously in no condition to answer her questions just now. Placing him in front of the fireplace, she set about the task of making him comfortable and warm.

As she rummaged about in her closets for extra blankets and a spare futon, faint murmurs reached her ears.

"T-To...mo...e..."

Tomoe? A woman's name. Maybe he had a wife.

She wondered why the thought left her disappointed.

Shaking her head slightly, she turned towards the man again, her arms full of bedding, to discover him sitting straight up, burning amber eyes boring into her own.

He shifted slightly, breaking the spell, and she blinked rapidly as she tried to clear her thoughts. His gaze was fixed upon the blankets in her arms, and she began babbling in response to the unspoken question.

"I found you outside and you looked so cold and exhausted that I thought I'd prepare a futon for you and put you in front of the fire, since it's always a good idea to get warm when you're cold and blankets and a fire are really good for warmi-"

"Where am I?"

She blinked, the surprise of being cut off mid-ramble and the surprise of hearing his smooth, very male voice combining to leave her opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

"Where am I?" he asked again, locking gazes with her. Smoldering amber depths stole her breath and she found herself shaking her head from side to side slightly, though the reason for it eluded her.

"This building is saturated with pure spiritual energy. What kind of building is it? What happens here? Where am I?" he asked, gaze flickering around the room, looking for some kind of indication of where he might be.

Finding her voice, she straightened her back and replied, "This is the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo, where the way of the sword that protects life is taught."

The corners of his mouth curled slightly as he considered the information.

"The sword that protects life, hmm? That explains the pure energy. I feel an exceptionally strong, pure ki from you. Who are you?" He tilted his head at an inquisitive angle.

"Kamiya Kaoru, the adjutant master," she said quickly, unsettled by the way he was speaking. Who _was_ this man?

Nodding slightly, the man stood up, dusting off his white hakama and gi.

"I am not in need of those," he gestured to the futon and blankets, "but thank you for your concern. It is appreciated." He bowed before her, and proceeded to vanish.

Eyes wide, Kaoru stared at the place the red-headed man had been until a moment before.

'Who are you?'

* * *

Kenshin panted, leaning on a nearby tree as he tried to collect his thoughts and the tattered remnants of his ki.

Being torn from the Realm had not been pleasant.

The experience had been excruciatingly painful, his ki ripped from the sea of spiritual energy it had always floated in. Unless he could patch it together again, he would wither away and disappear.

Maybe he should have stayed at the dojo. The reserves of untainted spiritual energy would have been so useful in his endeavor.

But he couldn't burden the pure soul of the girl with his problems.

She would be targeted if he took refuge in her dojo. And then _they_ would come, either corrupt spirits like the ones that had stolen Tomoe from him, or pure ones intent on eradicating his now tainted existence.

He sighed. When had simply surviving become so difficult? Closing his eyes in frustration, he was met with an image of Tomoe, dying in his arms, that painful smile on her face.

His tears froze when they hit the snow, his shuddering gasping breaths creating crystallized puffs in the air.

'Tomoe...'

* * *

Her bokken slashed through the air as she danced through her kata. But her mind was elsewhere.

Who was that man?

He had spoken so naturally about spiritual energy and ki. Perhaps he was a monk?

But he had a sword. Monks didn't have swords.

And then of course there was his little disappearing act.

She sighed in frustration, her swings becoming more violent as she pictured her invisible opponent as the mysterious man, her bokken smashing some sense into his head and some answers out of his mouth. A slow smile curved her lips at the mental image, and it steadily grew as the kata progressed.

A keen pang of disappointment shot through her when the kata was finished, and she was drawn from her mental torture of the red-headed stranger she'd discovered.

Maybe a walk would clear her mind and shed some light on her predicament.

* * *

Kenshin tensed when he felt another ki approaching where he lay on the ground, clutching at the snow. Memories of Tomoe had overwhelmed him, and he longed for the painful ache in his chest to disappear, no matter the cost. His tattered ki still clung to him in wisps, weaker than before, and his will to live was rapidly fading.

But still, he wouldn't allow another to find him like this. He attempted to push himself off the ground, and discovered, to his dismay, that his deprivation of spiritual energy had stolen his ability to move.

'By the Powers...' he grit his teeth and forced what little energy he had left into an illusion. Hopefully it would be strong enough to fool whoever was coming steadily down this path into believing he was just another clump of snow.

* * *

Something tingled.

It was an odd feeling, a prickling of ki against her mind that left her feeling slightly dazed.

'Someone's hiding,' the thought flitted through Kaoru's mind for an instant while she tried to pinpoint the source of the unusual feelings. Not there... no, not- there! She smiled in triumph as she observed the shimmering snow bank, the crystals shining just a bit too brightly.

'Someone's desperate,' she thought, striding confidently towards the snow bank.

A gentle prod of her foot and the illusion evaporated, revealing a very weak-looking redhead.

'Someone is _so_ dead.'

* * *

His eyes opened slowly, the rhythmic pounding in his head attesting to his weakened state.

He was back in the dojo.

Suddenly nervous, he attempted to sit up only to discover that there was a very annoyed looking Kaoru sitting on his chest. His eyes widened as he took in her narrowed blue eyes, flashing dangerously.

"You were saying something earlier about how you didn't need my blankets and futon."

He swallowed nervously, eyes darting around the room.

"I think I have proven you wrong, since you've been lying here for three hours."

The tone of her voice forced him to look at her, the smoldering glare pinning him.

"You also said that my concern was appreciated. Is it still?" she asked, her words suddenly turning soft.

He nodded mutely, unable to find his voice. A victorious smile broke out across her features, and she lifted herself off of him.

"Good. Don't disappear on me. I'll be right back."

Breathing a sigh of relief, he relaxed against the futon, thoughts wandering to his predicament.

His ki was still shredded, the edges fraying even as he lay still.

And there was so much pure spiritual energy permeating the very air of this building...

Almost subconsciously, he began drawing from the energy embedded in the wood of the dojo walls and using it to smooth out his ki, melding it back together carefully.

When Kaoru returned, a tea tray in her hands, she found him lying very still on the futon, his amber eyes focused but vacant, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only thing that told her he was alive.

She coughed softly to get his attention.

Blinking slowly, he refocused his gaze on her and stared at her with an expression of annoyed confusion.

"I was in the middle of something important," he said curtly, eyes narrowing a fraction as he regained his lost confidence. Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure it can wait. I want some answers."

He sighed. It was to be expected. And it _was_ her home that was currently providing him with enough energy to heal...so he relented.

"What do you wish to know?" he asked, easily slipping into his overly polite façade.

"Well, first of all, what's your name?" she asked, cradling her chin in her hands.

"Himura Kenshin," he said softly, eyes turning distant as he remembered when that had not been his name.

"Okay then, Kenshin. So, what in heaven's name are you?" she asked bluntly.

A soft chuckle parted his lips, and his eyes twinkled as he looked at her.

"I am... was... a spirit guardian for the Realm. Recently I have been...demoted," he grimaced, a hand reaching up to finger his scar absently. She snorted.

"No duh. A three hour nap is a little much for healthy grown men," she quipped. Suddenly her eyes glittered with curiosity. "So you're a spirit guardian, ne? Why am I not surprised."

Kenshin's eyes widened as he stared at her in confusion.

"How do you know of these things?" he asked, bewildered. Kaoru chuckled dryly.

"My mother was a spirit. She withered away eventually simply because she was no longer part of the Realm. Kicked out for falling in love with a human, I think. She didn't talk about it much - from what I gather, the separation from the Realm isn't easy," she cast a sidelong glance at Kenshin's weakened form, noting the grimace that flickered across his face.

"Most assuredly not," he whispered, eyes cold and shuttered, pain locked away behind them. Something seemed to occur to him then, and he took a long look at her, seeing through her with his piercing gaze.

"So that is why your ki is so strong. You are half pure-spirit," he mused, chin resting on the backs of his hands. "I, also, am not surprised." Her eyes glinted mischievously.

"That's not what your face was saying a moment ago when you were gaping like a fish!" she teased. Cheeks reddening, he reached silently for the cup of now-cold tea resting on the tea tray.

"I was not gaping like a fish."

"Oh, so now you can see your face as you talk, too? You must be pretty powerful!"

"Do not mock this one. I still carry my Pure Sword," he warned, his eyes flashing amber.

Kaoru tilted her head inquisitively. "Pure Sword? I've never heard of one of those."

Kenshin reached for the katana tucked into his hakama ties and inched it out slightly. Bright, almost blinding light flashed from the inside of the sheath, only growing in intensity as he completely unsheathed the sword. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see that the blade was actually formed of what appeared to be solid light, shifting waves of blue and green iridescence swirling through it. He hefted the sword easily, as though it were made of nothing.

Which, technically, it was.

"This is a Pure Sword. It is made completely of Purity, and will slice only that which is impure or inanimate. It cannot destroy Purity - rather, it soaks up Purity and uses it to make itself stronger," he explained, turning the curious blade this way and that way. Kaoru reached for it tentatively, mesmerized by the swirls or color. Suddenly the sword was jerked away, out of her grasp.

Kenshin's cold voice reprimanded her, "You are a human - all humans have some impurity within them. Do not touch my sword, lest it burn you."

Kaoru simply stared for a moment, awed and overwhelmingly curious. When her gaze refocused and her head cleared, she discovered Kenshin sitting up on the futon, straight as a ramrod, with his eyes narrowed and pointed in the direction of the dojo entrance.

And then, someone began pounding furiously on the gate.

--

Glossary:

Bokken- A wooden sword

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Kenjutsu- The art of sword-play

Hakama- Basically samurai pants

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Gi- The top that goes with the aforementioned samurai pants

Kata- a routine for practicing various forms of martial arts; in this fic, kendo

Ne- An affirmative ending to sentences, kind of like "right?"

AN: Hoorah, first chapter done. :D

Man, this plotbunny turned out weird.

The original Chapter 1 was tons different. But it rushed things way too much and sucked, so I ditched it and rewrote it. xD

And then I looked at it and you know what? It STILL rushed things way too much and sucked. So I rewrote _that_, too.

And then I got it beta'd. xD

I hereby ping luff at Misaoshiru. What would I ever do without my beta? -heart-


	3. Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** Jupe spent all her money in Hawaii. She has none. So don't bother suing her.

.:Chapter 2:.

With an exasperated sigh, Kaoru picked herself up off the floor and headed for the gate, but Kenshin's arm reached out to stop her.

"Don't."

Confused, she turned her head to look at him, and discovered that his eyes were fairly glowing, a righteous anger simmering behind them.

"There is Corruption outside your gate. Do not invite it in."

She looked again at the gate and focused herself, feeling for the ki outside the dojo. A sudden wash of slimy sensations flowed over her, slipping between the fingers of her ki.

Corruption.

'Eww,' she thought disgustedly, now glaring at the gate. The residue of the Corruption still clung to her, and she shuddered at the feeling. Only a truly corrupt being could have a ki like that, one in which there was no purity at all. Bracing herself, she re-centered her mind and felt for the ki again, trying to determine how many there were outside her gate. Her eyes snapped open.

'...Lots.'

Suddenly nauseous, she turned away from the gate and faced Kenshin again, forcing a smile.

"Well, this should be interesting," she said with false cheer, reaching for her bokken. Kenshin frowned at her reprovingly, and her grin faded.

"What?"

"Do not attempt to fight off this Corruption. It is stronger than you are," he said matter-of-factly, alternately glaring at the gate and at his clenched fists. "However..."

Kaoru's ears perked up. "However?" she asked tentatively. His gaze returned to her face.

"However, it may be possible, if both of us work together, to erect a barrier- at least a temporary one. Something that will last until I have repaired my ki," he mused, calculating. Kaoru settled onto the dojo floor and tilted her head.

"Hmm, a barrier? I've never tried that before," she said. Amber eyes softened slightly.

"No, I don't suppose you would have. I'll have to teach you, then," he decided, shifting himself into a more comfortable position on the futon.

"Close your eyes and center yourself - feel for your ki. Be aware of it, and feel it in your hands. Can you sense it?" He asked her, his voice gentle and not unlike a mother showing something to her child for the first time. Concentrating as best as she could with Kenshin's voice echoing in her mind, Kaoru reached with her mind for her ki and tried to tame it, to pull it towards herself.

"Yes," she whispered, struggling to hold onto her ki.

"Now imagine the grounds. With your mind, flatten your ki and use it to put a shell around what you want protected." It sounded so simple, but the actual action was proving to be exhausting and difficult. She stretched her ki as much as possible, finally driving it into the ground in front of her gate. Her eyes opened and she stared at the boards of the floor, panting.

"Excellent, for a first try," he commended her, eyes still closed. "Now I shall attempt to cover the rest."

She snapped her gaze upwards, staring at his serene face incredulously. How could he possibly cover the rest of her dojo with ki, when he was so injured? It had been hard enough for her to place her ki in front of the gate. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and his mouth curled slightly.

"Finished." he said in a singsong voice, as though he'd just put the last touches on a finger painting and not a spiritual barrier. Eyes narrowed, Kaoru re-centered herself and felt for his ki.

And gaped at what she found.

He had really done it! Really, truly, actually, honest-to-God, done it. He had completely and efficiently coated her house in pulsating golden energy, which hummed brightly as she probed it with her mind.

'...No fair.'

And then she noticed that he had fallen asleep again. A slow smile spread across her face as she tucked the sheets around him.

'Rest well, Kenshin.'

* * *

Gohei would admit that he wasn't the most patient of men. Or spirits, for that matter. 

The point was, when Gohei had raised his fist to pound on the annoying Kamiya wench's gate one final time and hit a spiritual barrier instead of wood, he had not been amused. Most definitely not .

After he had finished hopping around, screeching out profanities as he clutched at his still-sizzling hand, he had bellowed to his henchmen to attack the blasted barrier with whatever evil they had in their miserable carcasses.

He sat down on a handy boulder to watch as the blue and gold barrier cracked bit-by-bit under the onslaught.

He was going to make that blasted brat pay for this.

* * *

Kenshin awoke from his impromptu nap feeling rejuvenated. Immediately, he tested the barriers to see how they were faring. 

And paled noticeably.

They were almost completely shattered, most of his sections already worn through, though Kaoru's thicker shield at the gate was doing better. He gave it half an hour.

Hopefully, that would be long enough to finish piecing together his ki.

He forced himself to relax, focusing his mind and energies on the wisps of energy that tangled around him, trying to reinforce the barrier. 'Too scattered,' he thought absently, drawing from the dojo's inherent power to reform his remaining ki. Bits and pieces of it had returned to him as they were chipped away from the barriers, falling back into their places around him and then shifting about restlessly in agitation.

He had to hurry. He _knew_ that. But still, if he didn't take his time with this, he would be permanently damaged. That wasn't a desirable option. He scrunched his eyes shut tighter as he desperately took each shred of his ki and melded it to the whole, placing the fraying pieces in their slots.

"Kenshin?"

Cursing inwardly, he finished sealing a piece in place and resurfaced from his subconscious, eyes narrow as he glared at Kaoru.

"_What_," he snarled, irritation at being interrupted overriding his senses. She started, distrust creeping into her gaze as she glanced at him warily.

"I just wanted to let you know that my barrier seems to be mostly gone. I thought you'd want to get ready to meet whatever is on the other side of that gate," she said tightly. He closed his eyes, exasperated, and rubbed at his temples with his fingers.

"I _was_ getting ready. My ki is still not completely whole, and it would be very difficult for me to engage in battle without it in perfect condition. Please kindly leave me be unless Corruption breaks through the barriers," he said in a clipped tone.

And then Corruption broke through the barriers.

'_Oh crud_.'

* * *

Gohei and his minions rushed through the now-shattered barrier and wooden gate eagerly, swarming around the courtyard and leaving behind them tendrils of Corruption. 

It was ever so much fun to corrupt things. Especially when they were as pure as this place seemed to be.

Gohei had had his beady little eyes set on the Kamiya Dojo for a few months now. After his fall from the Realm, he had pieced his fractured ki together with his fingers, rendering his right hand useless in the process. Of course, he still had been able to use his left hand, and he made very good use of it when he proceeded to kill anyone who crossed paths with him so he could absorb their death-spirits. It was what kept him on Earth - the energy he got from killing humans. The weaklings he slaughtered called it 'bloodlust', but he preferred 'deathlust'. After a few months of wandering from town to town, killing whoever he happened to meet, he had found the Kamiya dojo, an astoundingly pure place owned by a girl who taught some poppycock about swords that protect life. Pah.

What interested him was the purity of the dojo - pure things had always attracted him. Especially if he was allowed to corrupt them. At first he had contented himself with saying he used the school's style for his murders - that had corrupted the dojo's reputation. Now he longed to corrupt the grounds themselves...and the girl who owned the dojo. He grinned slyly in anticipation. Oh yes, corrupting things was fun. And when the girl herself strode out of the dojo, anger blazing in her eyes, he knew he would enjoy this very, very much.

"Hello, Kamiya brat."

"Hello, bastard."

With greetings exchanged, Kaoru charged at Gohei, swinging her bokken forcefully in an overhead attack. He caught it with his right hand, and jerked it from her grasp before breaking it in half without a second thought. Kaoru gaped at him, before remembering who he was and glaring instead.

"So, any particular reason why you've broken through my barriers, gate, and bokken?" she asked with feigned nonchalance. Gohei's face lit up with evil desires.

"Nice place cha got here," he commented idly, ignoring her question and letting his gaze wander over the grounds insolently. He could feel her anger building and his smile widened.

"Yes, nice place _I_ have here. Not you. Now, _sir_, if you would kindly leave I could get back to practicing in _my_ dojo," she seethed, fairly emitting sparks of anger. Gohei tamed his face into a look of bored amusement.

"Ya know, some people offer their guests things to eat 'n drink, instead of jabbering on about nonsense," he drawled, eyes half-closed.

Kaoru snapped.

"Listen, you evil, insolent _brute_. I will not tolerate people breaking onto my property. Leave now, before I remove you myself," she growled, jabbing a finger into his chest. The offending brute managed to hold his neutral expression as he calmly picked her up by the collar of her gi and hauled her up to his face.

"With what, wench?" He asked, gesturing with his free hand to the bokken lying in two pieces on the ground.

"With this, de gozaru ."

Gohei's expression quickly changed from calm to a furious snarl as he flung Kaoru from him, only to come face-to-face with a very angry Kenshin.

"Battousai! Since when have you been here, you bastard?" Gohei growled, adjusting his grip on his sword.

"Long enough, Gohei. I suggest you leave quickly," he threatened, the click of his katana being inched from its sheath oddly loud. Gohei's face twisted into a demonic sneer.

"Nu-uh, Battousai. This place is mine to corrupt. I won't lose it to someone like you," he said in a voice that couldn't possibly be human. "Hey, you blithering idiots - attack him!"

The horde of men in the yard rushed towards Kenshin en masse, and he crouched into a Battou-jutsu stance as they advanced. When they were close enough, he whipped the pure sword from its sheath, striking out in an arc and felling all who approached him with a disturbing sizzling sound. Shrieks of pain rent the air as he continued to slash at the evil spirits, weaving through the masses effortlessly and dealing death to all who met his blade. Within moments, the ground was coated in quickly disintegrating bodies, and he glared at Gohei from the corner of his eye.

"Do not mistake me for one of you. I do not corrupt those I come in contact with. I purify," he said in a low voice, advancing as he spoke.

"I shall now purify you."

Gohei didn't even have time to scream as his head swiftly flew from his body, both parts evaporating into nothingness.

Kenshin stood in the courtyard, head bowed, while Kaoru simply gaped at the now-empty yard, stunned.

"That is one awesome sword."

Amber eyes peeked through scarlet bangs as he tried to discern her mood. Such carnage, whether of humans or not, was not exactly the nicest thing to watch. He was surprised to find Kaoru gazing at the yard in wonderment, her face in an expression of awe tinged with...pleasure?

He blinked.

How was she pleased with this?

"Well, I'm glad that's over with. If you'd taken any longer fixing your ki, I might have had to resort to less-than respectable tactics," she said matter-of-factly as she stood up from where Gohei had thrown her. Kenshin stared at her.

"Don't you want me to leave?" he asked before his mind knew what he was doing. She turned her head slightly to stare at him, an expression on her face that said he was clearly either insane or stupid.

"You just got rid of an unsavory spirit who was intent on destroying not only my dojo's image, but my dojo itself. Do you think I want you to leave?"

He blinked again.

She gave an exasperated sigh and opened the shoji, gesturing inside.

"Listen, you don't have anywhere else to go, right? You still need to heal some, right? If there are evil jerks out there who want to soil my dojo because it's fun, I need some training or at least protection, right?" He nodded mutely. "So get yourself in there and go to sleep like a good little spirit. We can work out details tomorrow morning ."

That said, she strode into her dojo, leaving the shoji open.

Kenshin stared after her for a moment, and then focused his attention on the shoji. It seemed to make sense. He could stay here, surviving off of the energy in the dojo. He wouldn't have to kill people to sustain himself. He could protect this fiery half-spirit and train her to use her hidden talents.

It was the last thought that won him over, and he walked through the doorway and closed the shoji behind him, a smile on his face.

Just for a little while...

--

Glossary:

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Bokken- A wooden sword

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

De gozaru- An archaic form of "desu". Basically, it means that Kenshin is being super-polite

Shoji- a rice paper door

AN: Finally back from Hawaii! -flops onto computer- I missed you

Dang, I missed everything about home. But Hawaii was good too. I found some candies called "Tomoe Ame rice candies" or something, so of _course_ I bought those. xD

And, since Misaoshiru is a totally awesome beta, I'm giving those candies to her. -luffles on-


	4. Complications

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Pretty please, don't sue me? -/Guybrush Threepwood ripoff-

GAH. Sorry for all the edits. My brain is not functioning today.

.:Chapter 3:.

"Kenshin, will you please stop trying to wash the _practice dummies_, for heaven's sake?"

The spirit in question raised his eyes to meet her glare, a slightly confused expression on his face. With an exasperated sigh, Kaoru took hold of the rag dangling limply from his hand and tugged on it.

"What would you have me do?" he asked, tightening his grip on the cloth subconsciously.

"Well, for one thing, you could stop trying to clean anything that has a speck of dust on it. Honestly, I'd think you were allergic to dirt!" she groused, flinging her hands into the air. Kenshin regarded her coolly, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Hmm, I think I was told something of the sort when I was younger..." he mused, tapping a finger against his chin.

"Mou!"

"Oro!"

Both Kenshin and Kaoru blinked at each other, Kaoru's bokken still on the spirit's head from the whack she had just dispensed.

"...Did you just say 'oro'?"

Kenshin's eyes widened slightly, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

"No."

"..."

"...Well, maybe," he conceded, a hand rising to touch the welt on his head. Kaoru stared after him for a moment before lowering her bokken and shaking her head slightly.

"Mou," Kaoru huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning from the red-headed spirit. Kenshin regarded her warily, uncertain of her mood or how to get back in good graces. He opted for the ever-popular choice of silence.

After a moment, Kaoru faced him again, head tilted as she considered the spirit in front of her.

"Why are you such a neat freak, anyway?" she asked childishly, rocking on her heels with her hands behind her back. Kenshin's expression turned distant as he reminisced.

"...Those in my position took a special oath of absolute purity. Any spirit that broke that oath had their citizenship in the Realm revoked," he stated after a moment.

Looking into his eyes, Kaoru whispered, "Like you?" The spirit didn't answer and returned silently to washing the straw practice dummy, eyes cold and shuttered.

"You know," Kaoru started, her tone conversational and nonchalant, "absolute purity is a pretty high goal." A hiss escaped Kenshin's lips as his eyes narrowed.

"My only purpose is to cleanse anything impure. Absolute purity is a necessity for those like me."

"But still, even the best of us make mistakes some times. I don't think there's anyone who is completely pure, in the Realm or on Earth," Kaoru ventured, glancing at Kenshin from the corner of her eye. His face was hidden beneath his bangs, the rag in his hand clutched in a white-knuckled grip. Suddenly, he spoke.

"I once knew someone with thoughts similar to yours. It was my duty to protect her, much like I am protecting you now. With her words in my head, I was not able to properly function. She is now deceased, because of my distractions," he said quietly, rigidly. "For your own safety, please do not speak of these things."

Kaoru stared into the yard, unseeing, as Kenshin brushed past her and headed for the kitchen.

'_You poor soul.'_

* * *

It was uncanny, he decided, how alike they were. How similar, and yet not.

Kaoru...and Tomoe.

Both had worldviews almost completely different from his own, both had a pair of eyes that saw more than it should, both soaked up information like sponges.

Both were under his protection.

Would he fail them both, as well?

A shudder ran down his spine as he shook his head vehemently, as though he could will the thought away.

But still it remained, festering in the back of his mind.

Would both of them suffer the same fate? Would this one die for him, too?

Would Kaoru _die?_

'Never,' he thought, 'will I allow that to happen again.'

And then there were her words in his mind, springing up unbidden.

'_I don't think there's anyone who is completely pure, in the Realm or on Earth.'_

Of course there was. He had been pure, completely and absolutely pure, until his fall.

'_You know, Himura-san, you're awfully proud.'_

His eyes widened as he recalled the words, spoken so innocently by his ward during one of their sessions.

Had he truly been proud? She was seldom wrong in such matters...

But his oath! His oath of absolute purity! Surely he would have fallen from the Realm long before her death if he had been so tainted.

Unless there really were no absolutely pure beings.

He silently cursed the innocuous words, so full of cheeky innocence that even his hardened heart took notice of them.

Sake would taste really great right now.

* * *

Kaoru emerged from the practice hall, sweat-soaked clothes clinging to her body uncomfortably, and stumbled upon a peculiar scene. Kenshin was glaring at the gate with burning amber eyes, and she got the distinct impression that if the gate had eyes of its own, it would be glaring right back at him.

Sighing, she plopped onto the engawa next to him

"I'll bite. What's eating at you?"

There were a few more moments of silent seething before he answered her. "Apparently, since I used energy from your dojo to fill in the cracks in my ki, your dojo considers me bound to it," he growled, narrowing his eyes even more as his glare intensified.

Kaoru stared at him, mystified.

"Bound?"

Sighing tiredly, Kenshin turned away from the gate and fixed his eyes on her, minus the glare.

"Basically, I can't leave."

"...And this is a bad thing?"

"Of course it is!" Kenshin snarled, returning his gaze to the gate. "Now I am forced to stay here, and you will be put in danger by those who are certain to seek me, and when you eventually grow old and die, I will still remain and become known as the ghost of the dojo or something!"

Kaoru snickered.

"It is _not_ funny."

"Sorry."

"Your sympathy is overwhelming," he responded dryly, glancing sideways at her.

Ignoring the comment, Kaoru said, "Well, what if I went with you? I'm basically part of the dojo, after all." Kenshin stared at her for a long moment before grabbing her arm and practically dragging her out of gate. He glanced at the dirt road beneath his feet.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you were too busy glaring at the gate, Mr. Grumpy Pants."

"...What did you just call me?"

"Well they are! They're practically in tatters! Though I can guess why, seeing how hard you scrub things."

"We are _not_ discussing my hakama."

"Good idea. How about you see if the dojo will allow you to let go of my arm, instead?"

The comment returned Kenshin's mind to more pressing matters, and he confidently opened his hand. Or tried to.

"It seems your dojo is rather clingy."

"Really? It looks to me as though you're the clingy one," an ancient voice put in lightly. Kaoru's face lit up immediately.

"Gensai-sensei!"

Kenshin turned towards the voice and was met with the visage of an aged man, stooped and wrinkled with frizzled gray hair and crinkles around his perpetually smiling eyes. But there was something else...

"Kamiya-san seems to attract the spiritual," he said, looking Gensai squarely in the eye. The elderly man blinked and stared at Kenshin curiously before a light of recognition dawned on his face and he shook his head back and forth, chuckling in amazement.

"That she does, whippersnapper. Actually, her entire family seems to. I've been looking after it for a long time, after all. I would know," he chortled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Kaoru, however, looked thoroughly confused.

"Um, not all of us have the ability to read people's minds..."

"None of us do."

"Well excuse me! Can you just explain what's so funny?" she fumed, muttering a few choice words under her breath. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at the language before acquiescing.

"Gensai-sensei is what you would call a guardian angel. His kind are spirits from the Realm who are sent to Earth but retain their bond to the Realm, usually for protection of humans significant in the workings of the world. Why your family would have one I don't know," he admitted, glancing at Gensai from the corner of his eye.

"Kaoru-chan's family has been involved with the spiritual for many generations. I'm just here to make certain they don't use their ties for evil," Gensai said, nodding good-naturedly.

Kaoru smiled brightly, turning to usher her guests into the dojo yard, while Kenshin considered the guardian's comments with narrowed eyes.

Simply being "involved" with the spiritual would never merit having a spirit guardian. Something was being hidden from him.

But he would let it rest for now. He would confront Gensai-sensei about it some other time, when Kaoru was not present to witness the conversation.

* * *

Gensai-sensei had visited with his precious "Kaoru-chan" for an hour or two, congratulating her on the "disappearance" of Gohei and his slander, before declaring that he had to get back to his clinic lest his waiting room get too full. With an exuberant wave good-bye, Kaoru sent him off and returned to the practice hall, a spring in her step and a tune on her lips.

Kenshin, however, was left musing.

Life was getting more complicated by the day. His powers were gradually returning to him, as his repaired ki adapted to Earth's natural resources and drew from the large supply of energy in the dojo. However, being bound to the dojo was something he hadn't counted on. He'd assumed that he would stay until Kaoru had a handle on her talents and he had discovered a way to survive outside the reservoir of energy without resorting to killing things, and then he would leave. But now...

Now it looked like he'd be around until Kaoru had pretty darn well _mastered_ her powers.

'I supremely dislike clingy dojo.'

He could almost feel the dojo sticking its tongue out at him.

* * *

The scent of soup cooking was what finally brought Kaoru out of the practice hall. Following her nose brought her to the kitchen, where Kenshin was absentmindedly heating miso soup to perfection using some sort of completely unfair power. An orange glow surrounded the pot, and if the amount of steam rising from it was any indication, the soup contained within was just about ready.

"You have got to teach me how to do that."

The comment snapped Kenshin from his reverie, and he glanced at Kaoru's awed expression with the barest hint of a smile on his face.

"You can cook dinner tomorrow night," he conceded, the smile growing slightly at her snort.

"Trust me, you don't want me cooking dinner," she said ruefully, gazing at the pot with a wistful longing. "It's been so long since I had edible food in my own house."

"Then the first thing I shall teach you will be how to cook edible food," he said dryly, dishing out the miso soup efficiently. Kaoru tasted it eagerly, a blissful smile appearing on her face.

"If my attempts come out half as well as these, I will die a happy woman," she chirped, shoveling soup into her mouth with her chopsticks. She paused suddenly when she noticed that Kenshin had hidden his eyes behind his bangs again. "Kenshin?"

Without another word, the red-head disappeared with a crinkling _pop_. Mystified, Kaoru stared at the spot he had occupied.

'...Was it something I said?'

* * *

Kenshin sat in the tree overhanging the koi pond in her yard, his mind consumed by one thought.

'_...I will die a happy woman'_

'**No**.'

He knew it was simply a figure of speech, but her choice of words brought to mind his earlier internal struggle and overrode his reason.

She would not die. She would live for many, many years--

'And then she'll die, leaving me behind.'

No! She wouldn't die. Couldn't die. She was his new anchor, his new hold on reality. Like Tomoe had been...

But Tomoe had died.

Tomoe had died because he couldn't protect her, because he hadn't taught her well enough to protect herself.

He would not, could not make the same mistake with his new ward. Resolve burned in his eyes as he leapt from the tree to seek out his pupil. It was time for her first lesson on ki.

--

Glossary:

Mou- Kaoru's favorite word of exasperation, kind of like "Geeze!"

Oro- Kenshin's ever-popular non-word, used in situations where he's either confused, surprised, or indignant. Kind of like a squeak. xD

Bokken- A wooden sword

Engawa- A veranda, or porch

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Hakama- Basically samurai pants

Miso- A paste made of fermented soybeans or grains, which makes very good soup and very bad puns on Misao's name -coughMisaoshirucough-

--

AN: Huzzah, I updated.

My muse skittered away and died somewhere while Misaoshiru was away, so I had to wait until she came back to finish off the chapter, let alone get it beta'd. xD

Fortunately, that meant that the bizarre 'LET'S MAKE THIS FUNNY' streak that my muse had been sporting also died, so this piece can finally be serious again! Yay.

I'm toying with the idea of editing the first few chapters with very small flashbacks in between sections, or at the start of each chapter, so I don't have an entire flashback chapter. -hates flashback chapters- If I do, I'll let ya'll know so you can be sure to read the extra bits. C:

Feeding Jupe's muse reviews makes it happy. And remember, happy muses are active muses. :D


	5. Desolation

**Disclaimer:** We're going to steal Kenshin. That Kenshin?

Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that Kenshin. Nautical term.

…-shot-

.::Chapter 4::.

"_Himura-san!"_

_Kenshin turned towards the sound, his lips curling into a soft smile__. Somehow, his ward always managed to cheer him up. He took in her youthful appearance, large black eyes set in a pale face framed by still-growing bangs. There was a breathless quality to her that implied that she had run from her home to meet him here. He raised an eyebrow in question, and she smiled sheepishly up at him._

"_I was reading and lost track of time. Gomen, Himura-san," she apologized, her short hair brushing her shoulders as she bowed. He set a hand on her head and smoothed the wind-blown strands back into place affectionately._

"_Iie. I also was late. Just not as late as you were, little one" he admitted, a chuckle escaping him. His ward lifted her head, a smile stretching her pale lips ever so slightly, and he moved his hand from her head to her own hand, engulfing it._

"_Let us train, my little one."_

"_Hai, Himura-san."_

* * *

He had fully intended to march right up to her and begin drilling ki exercises into her mind, but she was tired after her day spent in the practice hall, and he was beginning to remember things he didn't want to remember. 

So he put it off until the morning. He needed to plan out what to teach her first, he reasoned.

The excuse felt hollow.

Still, when morning came, his day completely thought out and an outline for what he wanted to accomplish with Kaoru and when, he felt a little better about himself.

Though he couldn't get Tomoe out of his thoughts.

Fortunately, he was brought out of his broodings when Kaoru stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes blearily as her nose sought out the scents of breakfast.

"'Morning," she mumbled indistinctly, crumpling into a cloth-covered heap on one of the cushions seated around the table.

Subconsciously, he tested her ki and found it lazily threading through the room, a kind of hazy bliss the main emotion tangled in it.

'Not awake yet,' he thought to himself before rolling his eyes. 'I didn't need ki-sense to tell me that.'

"Breakfast is ready," he said demurely, setting a dish of miso soup and a bowl of rice in front of her. She sleepily took her chopsticks, and after a muffled 'Itadakimasu', she began shoveling the food into her mouth.

Kenshin turned away, slightly miffed that she didn't even seem to know she was eating, let alone have the presence of mind to appreciate it.

Not that he should care, of course. He'd spent most of his life being unappreciated.

His dark thoughts were interrupted when Kaoru mumbled around a mouthful of rice, "Aren't you going to eat something?" He stiffened slightly at the innocent question, suddenly reminded that she was not his Tomoe, that they had one very important difference.

"Spirits like myself do not require that sort of nourishment," he said quietly, starting to clear away the empty pots and utensils. There was silence for a moment, before Kaoru spoke again, this time her mouth empty.

"Have you ever eaten?"

He paused. Had he?

"...There was never a need," he replied finally. An uncomfortable silence met his senses, and he slowly turned to the table. Kaoru sat on the tatami, mouth agape, simply staring at him, her chopsticks suspended above her bowl of rice. When her eyes met his, she snapped her jaw shut and scooped up the bowl, resolution chasing away the last vestiges of sleep.

"You will eat this. You will like it. And you will not refuse me," she said sternly, thrusting the chopsticks and rice into his face. Caught off guard, he faltered for a moment before hesitantly taking the bowl and utensils from her hands. Cautiously, he tipped the bowl and nudged a lump of rice into his mouth. The texture was foreign on his tongue, like licking at a scab but grainier and softer and with a taste that was actually pleasing, unlike scabs or sand. By the time his mind registered that he was putting _her_ chopsticks into his mouth, he had finished off the rice. Kaoru looked at him expectantly.

"Well? How was it?" she asked insistently.

"Surprisingly pleasant," he replied curtly, handing the dishes back to her. She took them, and not a moment later a furious blush raced up her cheeks. Ah, so she had noticed that he'd just eaten from _her_ bowl, using _her_ chopsticks. He almost smiled.

Suddenly, her expression turned into a look of horror.

"_Wait._"

He glanced at her curiously. Had she not noticed after all?

"If you've never eaten before...how were you able to cook so well?"

The smile that had threatened to creep onto his face quirked one side of his mouth upwards.

"Although this was my first experience tasting food, I have had to cook for other spirits with human tastes. Some had spent time on Earth during missions and developed appetites for food," he explained. "I was not one of those few, though I often did end up with cooking duties. Apparently, I had a knack for such things from creation. Though that might have had something to do with my creator..." He stopped abruptly when he realized that he was opening doors he would've preferred to keep closed. Fortunately, Kaoru had stopped listening to him and was busying herself with the breakfast dishes.

"So basically you're just a natural," she stated.

"Pretty much."

"I hate you."

* * *

"Report." 

"Well, Shishio-sama, Battousai has fallen from the Realm, just as you ordered."

"I know that already. What I want to know is how he's doing."

"Hmm, that's a little bit complicated. He fell into a pure dojo, and has been maintaining his bond to the Realm through it."

"Interesting. Very interesting. Is the dojo inhabited?"

"A female kendo instructor lives there, and she seems to have close ties to the Realm."

"_Intriguing._"

"What are your orders, Shishio-sama?"

"Send in Kurogasa."

* * *

"Mou!" 

Kaoru flopped onto her back, ignoring the way the wooden floors of the dojo pressed uncomfortably against her muscles. With a sigh, Kenshin sent out tendrils of his ki to tease her back up into a sitting position.

"Kamiya-san, it is easier to meditate whilst sitting."

"I don't want to meditate. Can't I just hit something with my bokken instead?"

"No."

"Mou," she declared sullenly, complying with the tugging of Kenshin's ki and returning to a seated position.

"If you wish to learn anything about ki, you need to learn how to properly meditate," he said slowly, in hopes that the words would penetrate this time. Kaoru gritted her teeth.

"I know that. I _know_. But couldn't meditation be just slightly less boring?"

"I doubt it."

"Mou."

He sighed again, head falling forward. His mind had drawn a thick line between Kaoru and Tomoe, and it was avidly recording all the differences it could find.

'Stubborn, impatient, hot-headed, sarcastic, fiery.'

'Demure, compliant, obedient, respectful, serene.'

'_And to think that I was comparing them to each other yesterday...'_

He shook himself from his thoughts and tried a new approach.

"Think of it this way: Clearing your mind for meditation is like calming yourself before kata, and the state you achieve whilst practicing kendo is similar to the mindset of those in meditation," he ventured. Kaoru tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes for the umpteenth time, trying to feel for her center. Her face melted into a blissful half-smile, and when he tentatively tapped her with his aura, he found her wrapped in herself tightly, her ki floating around her in a protective bubble.

'Close.'

His ki pried at her gently, pulling her this way, tucking this into that, until at last he was satisfied.

It wasn't perfect...but it was sure better than their other botched attempts this morning.

He tapped on her aura sharply, and her eyes flew oven as she snapped from her withdrawn state.

"So did I get it right?" she asked excitedly, leaning towards him. He almost smiled.

'Eager to learn; both of them.'

"Almost, little one," he replied before freezing. Kaoru looked at him strangely.

"Little one?" she questioned. He turned his head quickly, needing to avoid her eyes.

Her eyes that were so much like Tomoe's...

"That was what I called my former ward," he said quietly. "Forgive me. I will not let it happen again."

"No, no! You can, if you want. If it makes you feel better," she hastily replied. But the atmosphere was spoiled.

"I shall not. You are not her. You will never be her. No one will ever be her...because I failed her," he whispered, more to himself than to Kaoru. "I failed her; I _killed_ her."

And with that he walked out of the practice hall, leaving a speechless Kaoru behind him.

* * *

He needed to think. He needed to get away from this girl who reminded him entirely too much of Tomoe. 

He needed time. Time he had not had to mourn for his former ward.

'_Former. Former ward. Dear Kami, it hurts.'_

Though the fall through the void between realms had seemed like an eternity, an eternity in which to replay the moment of her death, he knew it had been instantaneous.

A single moment to recover before being thrust onto snow-covered ground.

An eternity to let the anger, frustration and guilt fester inside him.

It wasn't healthful- it could easily taint him so much he'd never recover. Somehow, he needed to exorcise the negative emotions.

How had he always done it before? Before, when he simply killed for his cause and held up the barrier for the protection of the innocent and the pure. Before, when he gave his all to shelter a half-formed spirit.

Before she had died.

She had _died_.

And that was the difference.

He could not simply lock his unhealthful emotions away now; he could not shove them into the recesses of his mind and deny their existence. Not when his reason for doing so was gone.

Or was it?

The soft crunch of her footsteps on the snow forced him to resurface from his dark thoughts and begin to wonder...

Could he allow her to become a substitute for what he had lost? Could he use her to keep his corruption at bay?

Could her pure heart burn away the darkness in his life?

Her aura reached out for him tentatively, soothing his despair away.

"Forgive me," he whispered, closing his eyes as he let the tension drain from his body. "I needed a moment to myself."

"I'm sorry," she said abruptly, startling him. "I'm sorry I can't be her for you. But, if it would help, I'll always be ready to listen."

He bowed his head, a sigh whispering past his lips. Even if he tried to keep himself from reacting to the soothing strokes of her ki against his, he knew it was there. He knew that she was trying to help. Why should he not accept her comfort? Why should he not allow her to help him contain himself?

'_Unworthy'_, a voice whispered to him insistently, _'Unworthy of compassion. Unworthy of relief. Unworthy, so unworthy. You _killed_ her. You can _never_ be worthy of devotion like hers again.'_

And while part of him agreed with the voice, the rest of him silently told it to shut up.

"Thank you," he said quietly, eyes hidden beneath his bangs. When he turned to face her, she had taken the ribbon from her hair and was extending it to him.

"This is my favorite ribbon, Kenshin. Because it's my favorite, I want it back eventually. So, bring it by my room sometime, when you want to talk," she said brightly, pressing the indigo cloth into his hand. His fingers curled around it, and a small smile flickered across his face.

"I-"

And suddenly she was gone, her ki torn from his as insane laughter filled the dojo yard.

"M-hm-hm-hm-hm-wa-ha-ha-ha-HA!"

Kenshin's eyes widened as he recognized the laughter and the voice.

"Jin-ei...!"

The black-eyed fallen flashed his teeth in an insane grin, one hand clasped over Kaoru's mouth as he leapt backwards, towards the open dojo gate.

"I see that this is your ward, Battousai! Let's see if she lasts longer than the last one did!"

Fury flashed in Kenshin's eyes as the comment brought his anger to the fore.

"_Jin-ei!"_

"Get angry, like you did when those demons murdered your little ward! Become the cold-blooded killer I know you can be!" he flicked a slip of paper towards the spirit before dissipating into mist.

"KENSHIIIIN!"

"_Aaaaah-wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!"_

* * *

No. 

_**No.**_

She was gone. Taken, stolen, _gone_. The differences between past and present seemed blurred, and all he knew was that what he had sworn to protect was _gone_.

He had failed again.

Again.

She would die, like the last one had--

But wait.

With trembling fingers, he opened the slip of paper he'd caught and read the words.

"_Challenge. Midnight, tonight. Temple at Chinshu forest. -Jin-ei."_

There was a chance. A possibility. A hope. If only this bloody dojo would let go of him long enough to rise to the challenge...!

Eyes blazing, he shredded the paper and tossed it to the wind.

He would hack off the gate and take it with him if he needed to.

Failure would not overcome him again.

--

Glossary:

Gomen- Forgive

Iie- No

Hai- Yes

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Tatami- A Japanese floor covering

Miso- A paste made of fermented soybeans or grains, which makes very good soup and very bad puns on Misao's name -coughMisaoshirucough-

Itadakimasu- A traditional Japanese saying, meaning "I shall take", but used to say "Thank you for the meal"

Battousai- Kenshin's alias, meaning something like "Master of lethal sword drawing"

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Kurogasa- Black hat- Jin-ei's alias

Mou- Kaoru's favorite word of exasperation, kind of like "Geeze!"

Bokken- A wooden sword

Kata- a routine for practicing various forms of martial arts; in this fic, kendo

AN: Well, I -could- blame my betas for the incredibly long wait, or I -could- blame school or activities or any number of things, really, but the main problem was me.

I just wasn't certain whether I wanted Jin-ei to be a part of the story or not, wasn't certain whether it would help or hinder and really wasn't certain whether or not I could write a decent fight scene if I did include him.

…Mi-chan says the fight scene's good. So therefore, Jin-ei.

I love my betas. SOMUCH.

They're just slightly less lazy than I am. xD


	6. Enmity

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kenshin or Jin-ei or Kaoru. If I did, I doubt I would be writing fanfics.

.::Chapter 5::.

Kaoru was going to kill him, if Jin-ei didn't get to him first.

He had quite literally torn the dojo to pieces searching for something, _anything_ that he could take with him for the battle.

But no matter what portion of bathhouse, practice hall, kitchen, bedroom, wall, or vegetation he took with him, the dojo firmly kept him inside the grounds.

'I _supremely_ dislike clingy dojo.'

This time, however, the feeling he got from the dojo was frantic, pleading, begging him to listen. Cocking his head, he closed his eyes and reached outwards with his ki, letting the dojo tell him where to go. Invisible strings pulled him towards the partially demolished practice hall, the building practically pulsating with the strong feelings the dojo projected at him. He strode towards the source confidently, his hand hovering above the intense aura, and he opened his eyes to see what the dojo felt was its core.

A sword.

Curiously, he picked up the sheathed sword and edged it out of its scabbard.

A sword with no sharp edges.

Interesting.

It was blunt on both sides, obviously meant to be used for disabling opponents rather than decapitating them. A slight smile curved his lips.

"The sword that protects life, hmm?"

He tucked the sword through his hakama ties and turned to leave, but the dojo's insistent pleas held him back.

The spot the strange sword had occupied looked frighteningly empty, and he could sense the dojo's distress. Slowly, he took the sword from his side and began to return it.

The dojo repelled him vehemently.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the spot, challenging the dojo. "What is it you want?"

A tugging on his senses brought his eyes to his side, where his pure sword rested.

"Oh, no. No. No, no, no, no, _no_."

Sometime later, a very ruffled red-headed spirit was flung from the dojo grounds, minus one sword and plus another.

'I _supremely_ dislike clingy dojo.'

* * *

"Stop looking at me like that. It's not like I'm going to eat you." 

Kaoru glowered at him from her seat on the ground, though she hardly inspired fear with her wrists and ankles bound tightly in front of her.

"Coward."

Her abductor hid his eyes beneath his hat and smiled, a flash of teeth that was entirely too manic.

"You don't understand, little girl. I didn't take you as insurance of my victory - I took you as insurance of Battousai's ability."

The crinkle that formed between her eyebrows was enough to urge him to continue.

"You know he's a Fallen, right? I'd wager he hasn't told you _why_ he fell."

Her glower shifted into a confused stare, and his grin widened.

"Anger. Such an emotion was not allowed to Guardians, and his anger is so potent it _scorches_. He decimated an entire forest - an _entire forest_, girl - and when he fell through the void, that anger festered deep inside of him for an imagined eternity," Jin-ei's face contorted into an inhuman expression of utter glee. "His anger brings out his inner strength. Imagine, just imagine how angry he will be that his second ward was taken from under his nose and there was nothing he could do about it. Imagine his emotions right now. His first ward was murdered before his very eyes. He will be beyond anger now. His strength...his strength will be incomparable to any I have ever fought before. To fight that, to _defeat_ that..." he pinned her with dancing green eyes, "..._the ecstasy would be without equal_."

Even as a growing sense of dread lodged itself in the pit of her stomach, a hatred for the man in front of her grew as well.

"You're sick," she spat, glaring at him.

"You will also soon be dead."

The calm, emotionless tone that the sentence was delivered in shocked her. Such inflection _did not belong_ with that voice.

"So you came, Battousai," Jin-ei said, a cruel smile in his voice as he slowly rose from his perch on a stone and turned to face the amber-eyed specter of death.

"Ken-"

Her heart stopped as she felt the anger wash over her; crackling, lashing out, blazing, so incredibly heated...

"...shin."

Relying on anything that felt that evil would never help Kenshin heal. If he didn't calm down, if he killed Jin-ei while in a rage so potent that even she, in her inexperience with ki, could tell that it was _corrupted_...

"Look at those eyes; so full of anger."

She spared a pained glance at him, a moment that she would never forget.

The red flecks of pure rage in his intense gaze killed something inside of her.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and the rasping of steel against its sheath rang through the clearing, even as the sword erupted into flames.

"Anger at you, for involving Kaoru in this mania of yours," he said quietly, his voice dangerous even without the volume, "and anger at me, for allowing it to happen."

Jin-ei's glee was almost palpable as he approached the scarlet-haired spirit, darkly glittering sword drawn.

"Then let us test that anger, Battousai! Let us see if your desire to protect this ward is as strong as it was for your previous one!"

_"Shut up."_

* * *

_Katsura Kogoro leaned back in his chair as he considered the fire-based spirit in front of him._

_He was strong._

_That much was obvious even to the untrained eye. But Katsura could see deeper._

_He was very strong. Even more so than Katsura himself._

_Which shouldn't have been possible._

_But, apparently, somehow it _was_ possible, since the spirit in front of him was very much a reality._

_Intriguing._

_Returning his attention to the matter at hand, he eyed the spirit. He was sitting attentively in front of him, red hair cascading over his shoulders._

_Fire-based spirits were touchy. They usually had very quick tempers and were most powerful when angered._

_Too bad anger was one of the many emotions that Guardians were not allowed to feel._

_Which was why it was such an intriguing suggestion._

"_So, Himura-san, was it?"_

_The spirit gave a curt nod._

"_Himura-san, tell me- why is it that you wish to become a Guardian?"_

"_To protect those who cannot protect themselves," the answer came quickly, as though practiced._

_Either practiced, or believed in with his entire being._

_Hn._

"_I'll take you on for a trial period. If you do the job to my satisfaction for a month, I'll have you take the Vows and sign you on as a real member of my Guard. Is that reasonable?"_

"_Hai, Katsura-san."_

_Katsura smiled.  
_

* * *

He was angry. It threatened to consume him, to steal rational thought from him and destroy him from the inside out. 

Her eyes were hurt, pained, sad. She hurt for him.

His eyes were insane, gleeful, lustful. Lusting for blood; his blood, her blood, his own blood. It wouldn't matter. The sword the dark man was clutching thrived on blood, but had been starved lately. It pulsed with hunger.

It was dangerous to fight a starved bloodsword.

It was more dangerous to fight a raging hitokiri.

Kenshin smiled thinly.

Jin-ei smiled back.

And then they struck out at each other, their smiles grotesque and cold, their swords dark and bright, their ki sparking and flaring.

Their blades connected over and over again, flashing in the unnatural darkness as the swordsmen studied their opponents carefully, looking for weaknesses, searching for irregularities.

But they were masters in their craft, neither one giving the other anything to grasp onto.

Until the green eyes shrank to pinpricks and the amber ones widened as a chill ran down his spine and prickled the hairs on his neck.

"How conceited...!"

And the masters sprang away from each other as though burnt and shocked, the cold amber eyes narrowed in disgust and disdain and the laughing green ones dancing with glee.

"Your technique, the Shin no Ippou, will only work on those with lesser ki than yours. Do you honestly think me that weak?"

The question was cold and arrogant, not belonging to the one who asked it. It belonged to someone else; it had to. Her friend could never sound like that. He _couldn't_.

"It was just an experiment. There are better targets for my technique."

His eyes weren't laughing anymore; they sparked with promises of something twisted and wrong and she couldn't look away and it hurt and she's _frozen_...

"Ken...shi..."

"You _bastard_."

"Hm! Hm-hm! Hm-hm-hm-hm-wa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"

His laughter was even colder than his eyes, and Kenshin's eyes were even colder than Jin-ei's laughter, but the raging inferno sealed beneath the spirit's ki was melting his control and he speared her with a _look_ that said everything he couldn't find words for.

'You are under my protection.'

'I will not fail you.'

'I will not fail myself.'

'I promise to save you.'

'I do not promise to save myself.'

And then the seal around his flaming ki melted away and his aura blazed around him, his eyes no longer cold but hot and filled with the promise of death for the one who would dare harm his ward.

Jin-ei smiled.

Kenshin did not smile back.

And the battle began anew.

Auras flared from both spirits, one heated and fiery, the other fizzling and sparking with bolts of electricity.

Globes of flame streaked towards the dark fallen, but a wall of crackling ki dispersed the threat.

Blade and teeth and eyes gleamed in the light from the connection, but the fiery fallen was not where he was a moment ago. Keen green eyes glanced around the area warily, but even wary eyes could not follow the redhead's speed when his anger was so potent. His anger lent him strength, strength he used to attack the fallen mercilessly. She cried out brokenly- she was _hurt_, she was in _danger_, and she was _pained_...

His sword was poised above its target, the metal gleaming with orange light as his ki danced along the bladeless edges. Why couldn't he strike?

Because she was pained. Because she was pained with the thought of losing him.

'I do not promise to save myself.'

'...But I promise to save you. And you want me to save myself.'

His burning eyes were hidden beneath his ample bangs, and when he lifted his face again, the eyes weren't burning anymore.

Nor was his sword as it lowered slowly, sliding back into its sheath.

Her gaze met his, her chest heaving from the exertion of forcing the insane fallen out of her mind. The pain was gone from her eyes, but the sadness remained.

'Will you always come this close to losing yourself?'

'Yes.'

'Will I be able to stop you next time?'

'Perhaps.'

The bright blue eyes fluttered closed, and she was content with the answers she had now and would let the future worry about itself.

He was there to catch her when she fell, his eyes wide and no longer so hard and cold, her breathing easy with a smile on her lips.

"Ken...shin..."

And he smiled back.

So did Jin-ei. But his smile was twisted, less relieved and more morbid.

Kenshin knew what he wanted. Jin-ei knew too.

The bloodsword glittered in the night before burying itself into insubstantial wisps of nonexistent flesh.

And Jin-ei died, disintegrating as the sword that lusted for blood absorbed his ki and turned against itself.

The shrine was empty, still in the night, no evidence left of the midnight struggle for a human life.

No evidence except for a pile of ashes, soon carried away by the wind.

* * *

He had been silent the entire walk back to the dojo, clutching the hilt of the blade-less sword. 

What had he almost done tonight?

Images of his final moments with Tomoe flashed through his mind, her hair, her blood, her _smile_-

That was what he had almost done tonight. One way or another, he had almost lost his second ward.

If he had not defeated Jin-ei, she would have died.

If he had, he would have been forced to abandon her.

Neither was a desirable option.

He wondered, though, how she had managed to break free of the Shin no Ippou. Only those with ki greater than or equal to the caster should be able to overcome it. He spared a glance at her, trudging beside him wearily.

'What secrets are you hiding?'

And suddenly, a look of horror crossed her face.

With trepidation, he turned his gaze to where she was staring fixedly.

'Oh, hell.'

The dojo was in ruins: the gate torn off its hinges, the walls splintering, the trees missing large branches...

With a shudder, he realized he could remember causing all this mayhem.

"Kenshin?"

Her voice was low, calm, trembling ever so slightly.

"What in the name of all things holy _happened_ to my dojo?"

"Uh...bandits?" he offered helpfully.

"You're a terrible liar, Kenshin," she growled, rolling up her sleeves.

"...Oro," he whimpered before breaking into a mad dash for what was left of the roof of the dojo.

"_Himura Kenshin, when I get my hands on you...!"_

He sighed slightly.

So much for 'thank you'.

--

Glossary:

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Hakama- Basically samurai pants

Battousai- Kenshin's alias, meaning something like "Master of lethal sword drawing"

Hitokiri- Assassin, Manslayer

Shin no Ippou- One-sided heart

Mou- Kaoru's favorite word of exasperation, kind of like "Geeze!"

Oro- Kenshin's ever-popular non-word, used in situations where he's either confused, surprised, or indignant. Kind of like a squeak. xD (Which Jupe's beta reader happens to say on a regular basis in real life. xD)

AN: Oh wow, that took waaaay too long.

I BLAME MY BETA.

Okay, I don't blame my beta. Real life interfered and we all know that real life combined with inherent laziness equals late fanfic chapters.

But at least it wasn't MY real life that made this take too long. -COUGH-

Anyway. About the chapter.

I frikkn' DIED writing this chapter.

Battle scenes plus Jupe equals no. Just no.

Though my beta/friends are all like "YAY IT'S GOOD" and I'm like "EWW IT SUCKS" so I just don't know anymore.

This chapter has been rewritten, like, 3 times. It used to be a near word-for-word copy of my icky manga translation combined with both dubbed and subbed versions of the anime.

But then I looked at it and said to myself, "Hey, self. Remember Doll's Blood? Remember how it was basically you retelling the Tomoe arc with dolls? Remember how much that _sucked?"_

And so then I rewrote it.

And it still sucked.

So I tried out some neato weirdo stylistic thing that I picked up from who knows where and, hey, guess what? It actually looked good.

Except that it kept wanting to be in present tense, so it took like a dozen re-readings to edit out all the present tense stuff and change it to past tense.

I actually like that style. It would make awesome crack!fics.

-SHOT-

…

-REPEATEDLY-

…Okay, I'm done now.

No, wait, I'm not.

You may have noticed the flashback I slipped in. I'm almost positive that I'm going to go back to the previous chapters and stick flashbacks into them, too. I wrote a bunch of them when plotbunnies attacked and I was waiting for chapter 5 to come back from Misaoshiru.

So… yeah. _Now_ I'm done.

Almost.

I forgot to spazz out over the fact that Shockwaves has gotten 5.5k hits so far. -twitches-

You guys rock, seriously.

But you rock more when you review. -nudgenudgewinkwink-

Chapter 6: _Frustrations_ coming soon to a monitor near you!

Well, if I haven't killed my beta, that is...


	7. Frustrations

**Disclaimer:** I do not own RK in any way, shape or form.

.::Chapter 6::.

"I still say this is unjust."

Kaoru glared up at him from her seat under the sakura tree, and he sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"You destroyed my dojo, you fix it."

"I destroyed your dojo trying to save you," he pointed out, replacing shingles wearily.

"I needed saving because some psychotic jerk wanted to fight you!"

She immediately wished she could take back her words when he froze, his aura darkening.

"That is true, Kamiya-san. Forgive me. I will repair your dojo without further complaint."

He was buried in his shell again, that icy, cold exterior she had learned to hate.

It meant he was hiding from her.

"Mou," she muttered, sulking to herself. Suddenly, she had a positively brilliant idea.

"Hey, Kenshin? Could we train today?"

The spirit tilted his head backwards, offering a silent prayer to whatever kami were listening.

"I thought you wanted me to repair your dojo."

Her exasperated 'mou' was clearly audible as she replied, "You're sick of working on it for the day, aren't you?" She took his silence as a 'yes', and continued, "Well, since I wouldn't have needed saving if I was stronger, don't you think it would be a good idea to train me?"

When no complaints were forthcoming, Kaoru leapt to her feet and clapped her hands together smartly.

"All right then, let's get started!" she said energetically, striding towards the still-damaged practice hall.

Kenshin stared after her for a moment before sighing in surrender and following her.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Kenshin?" 

"Yes, Kamiya-san?"

"I feel like an idiot."

Kenshin observed his pupil calmly, her hands spread in front of her while she sat cross-legged on the broken floors of the practice hall.

"Why is that?"

"Because _nothing is happening_," she said, on the verge of growling. Kenshin's face was impassive.

"Then you must not be doing it right."

"How the heck am I supposed to do it, then?" she exploded, her aura crackling.

Kenshin relented and held a hand in front of him, palm up. His eyes narrowed slightly, and golden light burst from his fingertips, flickering across his palm. When he relaxed, the light disappeared.

"Ki manifestation is actually quite simple, which is why we're starting with it in your training," he said, nodding to his hand. "Try to picture your ki, and then simply concentrate it in your hand."

"I've been trying to do that for the last thirty minutes."

"You're probably not picturing the right thing," he said sagely. Kaoru stared at him.

"Shouldn't I be trying to picture what it was I just saw popping out of your hand?" she asked slowly. Kenshin shook his head.

"No, I doubt your ki is like mine. There are no two ki exactly alike, though they can be divided into several general groups: some flow like water, some crackle like lightning, some feel like sand between your fingers. Mine is of the flame variety," he explained, producing the flickering light again. Kaoru studied it, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"What kind of ki do you think I have?" she asked at length, after the flames had left Kenshin's fingers. He tapped a finger against his chin, thinking.

"My impression is that yours is the water variety," he said finally. "Try to imagine a waterfall, or a stream. Possibly rain."

Her eyes closed once again, and she cupped her hands in front of her, having a clearer picture in her mind.

Slowly, her hands began to fill with a swirling blue light, ripples running across it and making it glitter in the sunlight coming from various holes in the roof. Her eyes snapped open and the liquid disappeared, her concentration broken.

"Did I do it?" she asked eagerly, panting slightly with the mental exertion. A small smile pulled at the corners of Kenshin's mouth as he nodded. Kaoru's face broke into a grin.

"Yatta!" she exclaimed, flinging her arms into the air as she collapsed backwards onto the floor, closely followed by, "Ow!"

She sat straight up and rubbed her lower back ruefully.

"Stray sharp piece of wood," she explained. A thoughtful look settled on Kenshin's face as he considered her.

"Ki manifestation has other uses besides looking pretty," he said, a hint of a smile in his voice. "It can be used to defend against physical objects…such as stray sharp pieces of wood. Perhaps a demonstration would be useful?"

Kaoru's eager face was all the answer he needed.

With a decisive nod, he rose to his feet and examined the hap-hazard dojo. If he sent a ki blast at that hole…

Kaoru yelped as orange light flared towards a hole in the dojo roof, causing several pieces of what used to be shingles to fall above Kenshin's head. The spirit's eyes narrowed slightly as he summoned a cushion of ki, halting the falling objects with ease. Orange-red flames of his aura licked gently at the pieces of suspended shingles until Kenshin moved out from under them and recalled his ki.

The clatter of shingles on the dojo floor was followed by an eerie silence as Kaoru gaped at him and Kenshin stared back, unblinkingly.

"That," Kaoru declared belatedly, "was _awesome_."

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.

"You could probably create a usable ki cushion by the end of the week, if you meditated regularly to increase your spiritual strength," he hinted. Kaoru grimaced.

"And if I didn't meditate?"

"Then you will probably never be able to use ki manifestation for anything more than a 5-second light show."

"…Drat."

Kenshin lowered himself to the floor and sat in front of her, eyes closed.

It didn't take long for Kaoru to crack.

"So…"

He almost smiled. Almost.

"…Help me meditate?"

"But of course."

* * *

"So, how did it go?" 

"Not so good, Shishio-sama. Kurogasa has been terminated."

"Ah, such a pity. Battousai finished him off?"

"No, actually. Kurogasa's own bloodsword turned against him."

"That _idiot!_ Even in his death he failed me. Bah. So what's Battousai's status?"

"Still clean, still at the dojo, last seen training the girl he's staying with."

"Blast it all. Who else do we have lying around that could possibly corrupt him…?"

"Well… there's always me…"

"…"

"I am a water base, after all."

"…"

"And you had better hurry up before the Realm sends down some of their enforcers to eliminate him. The girl has a Guardian all her own that has been in contact with the higher-ups."

"Oh, fine. Go have some fun, Soujirou."

"With pleasure."

* * *

"You're doing well." 

"That's good to know," Kaoru panted, leaning her hands against the dojo floor. "This ki manifestation business is harder than I thought it would be."

Kenshin's mouth curled.

"It would be easier if your ki was in better condition," he said, an almost teasing reprimand, "though I will admit that your ki is much stronger than it has any right to be, with your half-human nature."

Grinning at him wearily, Kaoru wiped the perspiration off of her brow and lifted her hands in front of her yet again.

"Maybe I'm just special," she said smilingly, concentrating her ki into her cupped hands once more. Kenshin paused.

"Maybe you are," he mused, pondering on Gensai's existence and his new ward's exceptional ki capabilities. The ward in question remained blissfully oblivious.

"Ha! I held it for 2 minutes this time!" she crowed, fisting her hands on her hips triumphantly. The spirit inclined his head slightly.

"Indeed. Perhaps you should take a break, or work on meditation now, since you've done so much with ki manifestation already," he suggested, rising to his feet. "I, myself, have things to do. Such as repair this decidedly dilapidated dojo."

"I thought you didn't want to repair the dojo."

Kenshin glanced at her sideways.

"Would you prefer to do it yourself?" he asked dryly. Kaoru cringed.

"Have fun."

"Hn."

* * *

Meditation wasn't so bad, once you got into it, Kaoru decided. 

The inner sanctum she imagined was a mellowed dojo, the air charged with something that prickled the hairs on her neck. Her mind-self slowly picked a bokken from the wall and began a kata, flowing from one motion to the next. With each swing of the imaginary sword, she lost herself a little more. Or was she finding herself?

As the kata came to a close, she let the world inside her mind melt away and she reached for the power resting deep inside her soul.

She could see it in her mind's eye, washing over her and trickling through her fingers. It was a hazy blue cloud of liquid light, thick and almost palpable. Slowly, carefully, she grasped the cloud in her corporeal hands, tugging on it and pulling on it until it was stretched out as much as she currently could. It was thinner and larger now than it had been the last time she attempted this. She tapped on it carefully. Still as strong as before. A smile bloomed on her face as she took the sheet of stretched ki and imagined placing it in front of the dojo, protecting the gate from malevolence.

She nodded once to herself as she opened her eyes.

'_I do not promise to save myself.'_

She'd get stronger. She had to.

* * *

Katsura sighed wearily as he leaned back into his chair. 

Life was not being kind to him of late.

As though it wasn't painful enough to have his offspring murdered at the hands of his enemies, his most loyal and most powerful Guardian had broken his vows and fallen.

It could be assumed that he was either dead or corrupted by now.

'Such a pity…'

"Katsura-san."

Katsura opened his eyes and observed the spirit in front of him.

Black bangs obscuring cold shuttered eyes that had seen entirely too much of both worlds.

"Shinomori. You have news?"

The spirit inclined his head slightly.

"Battousai has been located by one of our earth-bound Guardians."

"Oh?"

"Gensai-san reports that he has settled in a dojo, and appears to be uncorrupted."

Relief rushed through him as he processed the information.

"Take a unit and retrieve him."

"Aa."

* * *

"_But Shishou, I am of age and of ability! It is my duty!"_

_The argument was growing old fast, but Kenshin stuck with it stubbornly. He was right on this point, darn it!_

_Too bad Hiko Seijuro never agreed._

_"Baka, we've been over this already. You have only just become of age, and your ability is not at its peak yet. Your duty is to me, as your shishou. I won't let a student of mine go prancing off to save the world without finishing his studies."_

_That argument was growing old, too._

_Kenshin scowled, fists clenching at his sides as he attempted to reign in his frustration._

_He _would_ win this dispute._

* * *

Kenshin paused in the middle of reattaching a shingle to the roof of the living quarters. 

Something with a very strong ki was approaching.

A very familiar strong ki.

He grimaced.

'I am to be terminated already?'

Well, he wasn't about to go and die yet. He had a half-spirit to train and protect, and he refused to leave her in the middle of her training.

'Such a change of heart from my younger days…'

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he stood and braced himself for battle.

Kaoru would not be left unprotected.

--

Glossary:

Sakura- Cherry blossom

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Mou- Kaoru's favorite word of exasperation, kind of like "Geeze!"

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Yatta- Kind of like huzzah, yay, or even w00t. xD

Kurogasa- Black hat- Jin-ei's alias

Battousai- Kenshin's alias, meaning something like "Master of lethal sword drawing"

Bokken- A wooden sword

Kata- a routine for practicing various forms of martial arts; in this fic, kendo

Aa- Affirmation used by guys. I was going to just say "Masculine affirmation" but somehow that felt like "affirming masculinity" which it's definitely not.

Shishou- Honorable title for a master

Baka- Idiot

AN: Not much to say about this chapter. It's basically filler, I guess.

Luff on Misaoshiru for actually betaing it within a month!

Not certain when the next chapter will be out- I've got a plan for the rest of the story, but I'm having major difficulties writing one of the characters...

Ah well. Go read the "Twelve Days of Crackfics" while you're waiting.


	8. Guidance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Durrrr.

.::Chapter 7::.

Kaoru burst out of the practice hall, an excited smile on her face.

"Kenshin, look at what I ca-"

And then she noticed that the spirit was having a staring match with a tall man wearing a trench coat. The stranger glanced at her, icy blue eyes seeming to look into her very soul, before returning his gaze to Kenshin.

"Ah- I think I'll go practice some mo-"

"Kamiya-san."

The way he said her name gave her pause, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Allow me to introduce Shinomori Aoshi, one of my compatriots from the Realm."

The tall man gave a very small, stiff bow, eyes darting towards her again.

"You are Kamiya Kaoru," he said without pretense. She stiffened.

"H-how did you know that?" she asked warily. His expression never changed, but she thought she saw a glimmer of amusement flicker behind his eyes.

"Your unusual aura identifies you as such," he replied, leaving her even more confused than before.

"Aoshi. You stray from your purpose," Kenshin interrupted, eyes narrowed and intense as his hand hovered about the hilt of his pure sword.

"My intentions are peaceful, Himura. Be at ease."

Kenshin relaxed immediately, and Kaoru looked from one spirit to the other. This Aoshi person unnerved her.

"State your business, then."

Aoshi inclined his head slightly, "Katsura-san sent me to retrieve you. He wishes for you to return to your previous post in the Realm." Kenshin's features hardened.

"Impossible. My vows are broken. I cannot return."

The taller spirit straightened minutely. "Katsura-san sent me."

Kenshin eyed the snow-spirit for a moment in consideration.

"Indeed. Still, it is impossible for me to return."

"Katsura-san will be displeased."

Kenshin's scowl was frigid.

"Unless Katsura-san can break the hold this dojo has on me, I _cannot _return to my former post." Understanding lit up in Aoshi's eyes.

"Aa. I will inform Katsura-san of your problem."

With a stiff, formal bow, Kenshin replied, "Please do. Is that your entire purpose here today?"

"Aa."

And with a swirl of cloth, the snow-spirit was gone.

Kaoru stared at the spot he had been before blinking repeatedly. "Um, what just happened?"

After taking several deep breaths, Kenshin turned to face her, fire burning behind his eyes.

"The Realm wants me back."

Kaoru nodded slowly.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Both."

"…Huh?"

"It is a good thing in that it means they do not wish to terminate me. It is a bad thing in that it means they will utilize any means possible to bring me back, with or without my consent."

Kaoru stared at him.

"You mean they would force you to take your old position back?" she asked, stunned.

"Indeed. And I would do so without complaint, usually."

The last word filled her with uncertainty.

"Usually?"

"Usually, I would be bound by vows. Usually, I would _have _no free will. Usually, I would not have a pupil I would be forced to leave behind," he said slowly, anger seeping into his words.

The color drained from her face.

"You're going to fight them, aren't you."

"Yes."

* * *

Unexpected. Completely unexpected.

But oh so _intriguing…_!

So, Battousai was going to be accepted right back into the Realm?

Soujirou's smile was wider than usual as he whisked himself back into his master's presence. He might not have been able to get past the oddly strong ki barrier on the gate, but at least he had gathered some extraordinary information!

Shishio would be _most _interested.

* * *

_Kenshin had seen many things in his life._

_A whitish-blue cloud of pure unformed ki had not, to date, been among them._

_He stared at it curiously._

_In response, it curled in on itself, trembling under his scrutiny._

"Remember, Himura, that you're a fire-base. If you're not careful, you could do a lot of damage to a snow-base like her."

_As though he needed to be told. He brushed the memory aside and continued to observe the ki cloud._

_Slowly, it stretched out towards him, tendrils of pale blue reaching for his hakama. Strands of ki wrapped around his ankles and tested his aura._

_Apparently, he was acceptable, as the ki cloud suddenly thinned out and swirled around him, settling into his very aura._

_It would feed off of him. It would grow in strength and experience, and then it would detach and take on a human form._

_And then training would begin._

_For now, he was content to let the snow-ki glean off his excess energies._

_He kind of liked the feeling of being needed by someone.  
_

* * *

He had never liked Aoshi. The snow-spirit was too cold, too unreadable.

Too different from Tomoe.

How could they both be snow-spirits? He could always read Tomoe's moods. She would always smile for him, that small, secret smile that only he saw.

Aoshi had never smiled, as far as he knew.

Seeing the snow-spirit now, after Tomoe was gone…

It was like a slap in the face.

He had hidden from the idea that Tomoe might be gone. That she was really, honestly out of his reach. He had lost so much that day that it was easy to think that if he could just get back to the Realm, he'd have his Tomoe back.

Now he had a way back to the Realm.

And he _knew _that he would never see her again.

He chuckled darkly to himself. Of course, now that he had a reason to stay on Earth, the Realm would want him back. It wouldn't do for life to just leave him alone.

Well, Katsura-san could forget about having him back so soon. He needed time to adjust to the fact that he had indeed failed both of his masters, and his ward. He needed time to train his half-spirit. He needed time to figure out who exactly he was.

Who Kaoru was.

Deep inside himself, he knew that most of his reluctance to part with the dojo stemmed from the mystery surrounding his new ward.

What was she, exactly?

Aoshi had mentioned an unusual aura. He himself had noticed that her ki was exceptionally strong, for a human, and even for a spirit.

But then, how had Aoshi known her name, if she did not know his?

It was enough to make even _his _head hurt.

Perhaps he should join Kaoru in the practice hall. Meditation sounded heavenly at the moment.

* * *

"Katsura-san."

Katsura's head snapped up from his paperwork, a faint smile on his face. "Ah, Shinomori. Just the person I wanted to see."

"Battousai was unable to return with me."

Katsura's smile fell.

"What?"

"The dojo he resides in has bonded itself to him, and he is unable to leave it," Aoshi clarified.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Katsura nodded.

"I'll leave it to you to break the bond. You have someone on your team who is proficient in that sort of thing, right?"

"Aa."

The smile returned as Katsura closed his eyes and leaned backwards in his chair. Soon, he would have the spirit he almost thought of as his own offspring back in his services. Soon.

Aoshi had not moved from his position in front of Katsura's desk.

"There is more."

Eyes snapped open. "Continue."

A tiny smile stretched Aoshi's lips. "The dojo belongs to one Kamiya Kaoru. It appears that Battousai is training her in ki usage."

Katsura nearly fell out of his chair. Eyes closing as he attempted to control himself, he replied, "I want them separated. As soon as possible."

Aoshi bowed slightly and left the room.

"Aa."

* * *

"Kamiya-san, perhaps you would care to explain to me why most of your ki is removed from your person?"

Kaoru's eyes darted around the room, in search of escape routes.

No such luck.

'Darn it.'

"Well, um, I wanted to try making another barrier and so I kind of put one on the gate. E-heh."

She wasn't quite certain if the expression on his face could be considered a good reaction.

"You mean to tell me that you are the one who formed that barrier?" he said slowly, his face still unreadable.

"Um, yes?"

Her obviously fake smile gained a little authenticity when she saw his lips turn upwards at the corners.

"Fascinating."

"…Wait, what?"

Eyes twinkling mysteriously, he turned his head towards her. "Your barrier is selective. It allows those with good intentions through, but not those with harmful intentions. It is a difficult sort of barrier to make," he explained.

It was the unsaid that spoke the loudest.

_'You should not be able to do this.'_

The realization disturbed her. 'What _am _I?'

She was snapped from her musings by Kenshin's continued explanation.

"Since you apparently already have this skill, and to such a high degree, I suggest we test your other capabilities," he said complacently, as though it wasn't unheard of for her to have these abilities. As though she wasn't a freak.

"I guess so."

His expression was _not _reassuring.

* * *

"Kamiya-san, we are not finished yet."

"Nngh." Kaoru was in no mood to continue. All these exercises had taken their toll on her energy. 'Maybe if he fed me…' she mused fleetingly, staring at the ceiling through half-closed eyes as she lay on her back.

"Kamiya-san…" his tone was getting colder every time he said her name. Maybe, if she teased him along, he'd turn into a snow-spirit instead of a fire base?

"Nnnnnngh," she repeated, drawing out the non-word, with an extra emphasis on the moaning quality to the sound. 'I think I've found a new favorite word.'

"Kamiya-san, if you do not cease your childish actions, I shall be forced to punish you as befits such a crime."

Ooh, was that a _threat?_ From Kenshin? She almost giggled.

"Nngh!" she articulated once again, the sound coming out in a sing-song tone. She could _feel _Kenshin's ire against her newfound and over-taxed ki-senses.

"I warned you, Kamiya-san," his words ghosting through her was her only warning before ethereal fingers attacked her sensitive sides.

She squealed and curled in on herself, trying to evade the tickling sensations. "K-Kenshin! S-st-stop!" she choked out between giggles, eyes now closed tightly in laughter.

Oh, curse him. She could feel his amusement at her expense, only emphasized by his whispered chuckle.

"No."

"Mooouuuu," she complained, attempting to form a barrier around herself with whatever wisps of ki she could scrape together. It came together surprisingly quickly, considering her exhaustion.

So why wasn't Kenshin being blocked out?

"I told you, Kamiya-san, that this kind of barrier only excludes those with harmful intentions. I hardly would call this particular brand of punishment 'harmful'," he said smugly, answering her unspoken question.

A sudden image of using Kenshin as a practice dummy flitted through her mind, and she decided to thoroughly explore that idea while she was thus incapacitated.

Though it was rather hard to concentrate on much of anything when his weightless fingers were ghosting along her sides and underarms.

"I h-hate yo-you," she growled. Her sides hurt from laughing, her mouth hurt from smiling, her brain hurt from thinking and her soul hurt from over-expenditure.

Stupid obsessive fire-spirits.

"Mm," he hummed, ceasing his attack and withdrawing. With a start, she realized that she missed his close proximity.

'That can't be good.'

Slowly, with one hand on her head, she sat up, eyes closed.

"So, are you ready to continue now, Kamiya-san?" he said with a smile in his voice, putting emphasis on the 'san'.

"I hate you."

"Indeed. You have said as much already."

"I really, _really _hate you."

"You wound me."

"Good," she declared sullenly, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away from him haughtily. Now, where had her bokken gotten to…

At least one good thing had come of today's excessive training. Kenshin had shown her how to put a ki signature on objects or people for ease of location in the future, and she had chosen to test out her abilities with that on her bokken.

So she'd put a _little _bit too much ki into the mark. At least it was really, really easy to find now!

And with a sadistic grin on her face, she called the bokken to her by pulling on the ki marking. It was time to pummel some fire-spirit.

* * *

Some time later, a thoroughly satisfied Kaoru strode out of the practice hall, bokken propped up on her shoulder.

'Ow.'

He supposed he deserved that. She truly had been exhausted earlier. But at least he'd seen what he wanted to see.

'So she _does _have reserves.'

And very deep ones, at that. Even with all of her usual energy gone, she'd managed to draw on her inner reserves to give him a very thorough thrashing.

Something was very, very off about that girl. Very. She was more spiritually strong than half the spirits in the Realm, yet she walked on earth as a human. It was inexplicable. Was she spirit, was she human, or was she neither? She _couldn't _be simply half-spirit. And why had Aoshi known exactly who she was?

Kenshin smelled a plot, and he didn't like it.

"Himuuuuura, stop frowning. It's not good for you," a sing-song voice practically bursting with energy chastised him.

'Kami, no. Not _her_.'

He opened his eyes slowly, as though he could hold off the inevitable.

"Makimachi-san. What a pleasant surprise." His voice was deadpan, and the frown she had complained about had been replaced by an expression of nothingness.

'Eh, it's a start.' "Aw, is that all the thanks I get for coming down all this way, without my Aoshi-sama, I might add, just to break the bond you have with this dojo?"

"Yes."

"You're no fun."

"I'll agree with you there."

The spirit whipped around quickly to face the doorway, her braid smacking Kenshin across the face in the process. Kenshin's plaintive 'oro' was ignored.

"Oh, you must be Kaoru-san! I've heard so much about you!" she said happily, shimmering for a moment before reappearing entirely too close to Kaoru's face for comfort.

"Er, you have?" Kaoru said hesitantly, attempting to back away from the large bright-green eyes directly in her field of vision.

"Mm-hmm! Aoshi-sama talks about you sometimes - but I think you weren't supposed to know that, so just give me a moment and - there we go," she said to herself as she touched Kaoru's temples lightly. "Hey, what's the last thing you remember?"

Kaoru blinked. Was this girl insane? "You just said that someone named Aoshi told you about me." The spirit's face fell.

"I did? Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. That's not good at all. Should I try again…?"

The green eyes turned skyward as the strange spirit contemplated, her brows furrowed.

"Oh well. No use crying over spilt milk!" she said brightly, eyes closing in apparent happiness. "I'm Makimachi Misao, and I'm here to break Himura's bond!"

Kaoru's heart stopped.

"Oh. Hi."

She glanced past the beaming spirit, now identified as Misao, to gauge Kenshin's reaction.

His expression was frigid, with anger simmering behind his eyes.

'_You're going to fight them, aren't you.'_

'_Yes.'_

'Let the fight begin.'

--

Glossary:

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Aa- Affirmation used by guys

Battousai- Kenshin's alias, meaning something like "Master of lethal sword drawing"

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Hakama- Basically samurai pants

Mou- Kaoru's favorite word of exasperation, kind of like "Geeze!"

Bokken- A wooden sword

Kami- God, spirit, deity

Oro- Kenshin's ever-popular non-word, used in situations where he's either confused, surprised, or indignant

AN: Yes, I know how late this one is, and no, it is not my fault. I hereby lay all blame solely on Misaoshiru.

…I gave her the file, like, a month ago.

And I'm sure she'd blame DeathNote and Black Cat if she was asked for a reason why this chapter took so excruciatingly long to beta.

She'd probably be right.

Anyway.

I personally hate this chapter. Let's pretend I did not shamelessly pack it full of useless fluff and make Misao out of character.

I've come to the conclusion that I suck at writing long stories. One-shots and two-shots look to be my limit. Beyond that, I drag things out too much and my characterizations start going to pot. Oh well.


	9. Headway

Break out the noisemakers and sake! It's the one-year anniversary of this fic not-being-updated! Wait... this is an update... so... well crap. No party for us. Hopefully a chapter will suffice as a reward for sticking with this story for an entire inactive year.

**Disclaimer:** The fact that I didn't update for a year should probably tell you something about whether I own RK or not.

.::Chapter 8::.

"Himura, I'm starting to think that you _like _being stuck in a scrap yard."

Kenshin's expression was caustic.

"It's not a scrap yard, Makimachi-san."

A very suspiciously snort-like sound was his answer.

"Himura, half of the practice hall is on the other side of the koi pond, and the rest of it is barely standing."

"That doesn't make it a scrap yard."

"Whatever! Don't change the subject!"

"Hn."

Misao rocked backwards on her heels, hands clasped behind her back.

"The point is that you seem to have a dojo fetish."

It was the fire-spirit's turn to sputter.

"I do _not _have a dojo fetish. If anything, the dojo has a spirit fetish."

"Now that's just _nasty_."

"You were the one who brought up the subject of fetishes."

"Who's got a fetish?"

Kenshin and Misao paled and blushed respectively, turning to face the third occupant of the dojo.

"Ahaha, no one, Kaoru-san," Misao giggled timidly, a suspiciously wide smile stretching her face.

Kaoru didn't look particularly convinced, but graciously let the subject drop.

"Uh-huh. Hey, Kenshin, how goes the roof on the kitchen?" she inquired, craning her neck upwards to try to catch a glimpse of the work done so far.

"It is progressing well. I expect to have it finished by the end of the day," Kenshin replied, a tinge of satisfaction in his voice.

Kaoru smiled brightly, eyes glittering. "That's fantastic! At this rate, you'll have the dojo repaired in no time!" she said happily, clapping her hands together.

"Say, Himura, where did you learn to fix roofs, anyway?" Misao asked.

Grimacing, he gave a critical glance at the roof. "Shishou wasn't the most careful of spirits. He tended to set things on fire when he drank too much sake," he explained.

"…Ah. That would do it, I suppose," Misao conceded.

Kaoru coughed discreetly.

"Er, Kenshin, I made lunch."

"Ooh, you can cook? Let me at it! I haven't eaten human food in ages!" Misao tittered, completely oblivious to Kenshin's horrified expression.

As Misao scurried inside the building, Kaoru lagged behind and cast a devious look in the fire-spirit's direction.

Misao was in for a _treat_.

* * *

Shishio was indeed very interested in his news. 

So interested, in fact, that he had set whatever was closest to him at the moment on fire and then burned the ashes.

Maybe 'interested' wasn't quite the right word.

Irrationally irritated? Inexplicably inconsolable?

And, incidentally, ignitable?

Shishio-sama, Soujirou discovered, was the master of spontaneous combustion.

Well, at least he had clear orders now. Orders he liked.

'I hope Kanryuu has aired out his spare rooms.'

* * *

Several bowls of blackened rice, spicy miso shiru, and undercooked fish later, Misao decided that she was never, ever eating again. 

Unless Kenshin was cooking.

Moaning slightly, the wind-spirit hid her face in her hands and willed her stomach to settle. It would do her no good to regurgitate all the food that Kaoru-san had so… _lovingly _prepared. Not only would it make her feel worse, it would insult Kaoru-san. And she _needed _to be on the girl's good side.

It was bad enough that Himura was making her job difficult at every turn. If they both ganged up on her, it would take her weeks - no, _months_ - to free Himura. And she couldn't see Aoshi-sama until Himura was free. Katsura-san had been _very_ clear on that point.

'Extortion,' she thought vehemently.

She couldn't help but be suspicious of the way Himura was purposely diverting her attention from her job at every turn. It was almost as though he liked it here.

Which was preposterous.

…Wasn't it?

Misao cast a surreptitious glance at the fire-spirit, who was casting a surreptitious glance at the water-spirit, who was casting a surreptitious glance at the wind-spirit.

Oh, goodie.

Himura didn't have a dojo fetish, and the dojo didn't even have a Himura fetish. Himura had a _water-spirit_ fetish.

Misao grinned.

* * *

"So, Himura," Misao crooned. 

Kenshin cringed. He knew that tone of voice. It usually preceded embarrassment.

"Yes, Makimachi-san?"

"How long have you been dating her?"

Cue the embarrassment.

"Oro!"

Misao's innocent grin informed him that she was not nearly done with him yet.

"Oh, you're so cute! Don't bother denying it. It's so obvious that you two are smitten with each other."

Kenshin paled.

"O-obvious, de gozaru?"

"…De gozaru? Since when do you use that form of 'desu'?"

"I… I don't know."

"…A-HAH! It was a distraction! See, you can't outsmart the mighty Makimachi Misao!"

"One can only hope."

Misao's lower lip stuck out in a pout as her eyes turned liquid and glassy. "Himuuuura! Stop being mean to me!"

"Only when you give me the same service," Kenshin said moodily, resuming his work on the roof. It was so close to being done…!

"Touché."

Silence.

"So, how long have you been dating her?"

Kenshin's frustrated sigh was heard throughout the dojo.

* * *

Kanryuu had not aired out his spare rooms. He rectified this egregious error immediately. 

It was never a good idea to be on the bad side of Shishio-sama and his lackeys. Never mind that he was one of the aforementioned lackeys. The members of the contingent that had just moved into his mansion for no particular reason with no set time frame attached to them were the kind of lackeys that posed imminent threats. Kanryuu was more of the bribe-someone-else-to-stab-you-in-your-sleep type.

Not that he was without power of his own. It was just so pitiable in comparison with Shishio's elite forces that he might as well have none at all.

Maybe he should hire more muscle to guard his rooms. One could never be too careful when the Juppongatana lived under your roof.

Well, unless you were Shishio-sama. Shishio-sama got away with anything he wanted to because, quite simply, he could kill any of them with a word and they'd never know what hit them. He could also cut off their supplies of pre-packaged death and they'd disappear in a lingering, painful fashion which was much worse than instant death.

Kanryuu knew all of this. He himself was the one who packaged the pre-packaged death.

Or, rather, his pet was.

His uncooperative pet. His rebellious, uncooperative pet who had gone on a hunger strike a month ago and showed no signs of letting up.

"Megumi, Megumi, Megumi. When are you going to cease this fruitless behavior?"

The transparent spirit, barely visible no matter how you looked at her, glared at him cuttingly with hollow eyes set in a gaunt face. Starvation did not agree with her.

"You know you can't disappear. As long as you are anchored to this world, you cannot leave it. So why do you refuse to take in energy in any form?"

She wouldn't answer. She didn't have the strength to. He knew that.

It was always a good idea to sow self-doubt, though.

With one last condescending smile, he left the barely-there spirit and returned to his study. Yes, he would hire on more help. The Juppongatana in his home… what was Shishio-sama plotting? And how could he benefit from it?

Lost amidst his planning, he failed to notice the intimidating aura scant feet in front of him.

"Kanyruu-san."

Jerking his eyes upwards, Kanryuu squinted at the smiling water spirit. "Soujirou-san! What a pleasant surprise," Kanryuu truckled obsequiously. Soujirou's smile never wavered.

"Yes, isn't it? Shishio-sama sent me along with his troops on vacation!"

A drop of sweat rolled down the back of Kanryuu's neck. "Ah, did he now? What a kind master Shishio-sama is!"

"Quite so!" Soujirou continued, seemingly unaware of Kanryuu's discomfort, "Shishio-sama would be delighted to know you thought so well of him!"

Kanryuu nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes, I would do anything to please Shishio-sama," he insisted, fervently hoping the water spirit would leave.

Soujirou simply smiled. "Then you will have no qualms in allowing Megumi-san to be used in his latest endeavors, ne?"

Through sheer force of will, Kanryuu managed to keep his outraged tirade completely internal. "Of course not, Soujirou-san. If it is permitted, though, I would like to know for what purpose Shishio-sama requires her?"

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to divulge that information, Kanryuu-san. However, Shishio-sama has instructed me to tell you that upon his receipt of Megumi-san, you are to be promoted!"

Kanryuu's discomfort magically disappeared.

"Ah – am I allowed to inquire as to what sort of a raise I will be able to expect?"

Soujirou's smile grew.

_"Generous."_

* * *

_He wound his way through the iridescent Trees, sake jug tucked under his arm. He passed Tree after Tree, in search of something special._

_In search of a soul to form for himself._

_The Trees he passed were all fairly normal essences- this one was studious and eager to please, but weak, that one was strong but unmanageable, the one over there would've been nice except it was female, and so on._

_He wanted something extraordinary._

_A few moments later, he came upon a clearing in the Soul Forest, a single Tree in the center of it. Curious, he approached the Tree, cape billowing out behind him in the open space._

_Cautiously, he tested the essence of the Tree._

_Male, hard-working. So far, so good. He delved deeper._

_Idealistic. Fiercely loyal. Obedient, to a point._

'_Shinta.'_

_He smirked._

_Opening the jug of sake, he poured a portion of it onto the Forest floor._

"_Shinta's no name for a swordsman. From now on, your name is Kenshin," he said to the air, eyes fixated on the wet spot on the ground._

_A wisp of ki curled around the spilled sake. Tested. Tasted._

_And accepted._

_He teased the wisp of ki, fed it with his own and with sake until it was a steady burning flame, reddish-orange and strong._

"_Come, Kenshin."_

_And the flame followed Hiko Seijuro out of the Soul Forest._

* * *

"To the left. Lower. Lower. Just a hair to the right – There. Hnnnn…" 

Kaoru smirked to herself as she kneaded Kenshin's back with kendo-worn hands. "Thank you for fixing the kitchen roof, Kenshin."

"It was my duty, Kamiya-san."

"I know… but, still, thank you. It can't have been easy," she reasoned.

"Compared with training sessions with Shishou, fixing a roof is child's play," he murmured, relaxing as she worked the knots of tension from his tired muscles.

"How did he teach you?" Kaoru asked, curious.

"In ways that I will never teach you," Kenshin stated flatly.

"…Oh."

Kaoru finished the impromptu massage and sat next to Kenshin on the engawa.

"Do you miss him?" she asked at length.

Kenshin turned his head to look at her inquisitively. "Hn?"

"Your shishou. Do you miss him?" she repeated.

Sighing, Kenshin tilted his head backwards and gazed at the stars.

"…Somewhat. He was my father, I suppose. In a way."

Kaoru hummed in agreement, mimicking Kenshin's posture.

"I miss my parents sometimes, too."

The flickering of his eyes in her direction was her only indication that he had heard her.

"Mother died when I was very young... she had been sickly for most of my life, always seeming like a ghost of herself. I suppose it was because she wasn't part of the Realm anymore. When she finally disappeared, Father was... very angry. He cursed the Kami for taking her from him, and he too was stricken down a few years later. For his impudence, I guess."

Something was tickling at the back of Kenshin's mind.

"It's not so bad, though. I have Gensai-san, who is like a grandfather. He's been around all my life."

The pieces were all there, just in the wrong orientations...

"And now I have you, teaching me about my heritage. It makes me feel closer to my parents."

The pieces snapped into place.

_"Kaoru."_

Her head whipped towards him, eyes wide in shock.

Kenshin's eyes fairly glowed in the evening shadows. "I _remember_."

--

Glossary:

Dojo- A school for training in Japanese arts of self-defense. In this fic, kenjutsu

Shishou- Honorable title for a master

Miso- A paste made of fermented soybeans or grains

Shiru - Soup

Oro- Kenshin's ever-popular non-word, used in situations where he's either confused, surprised, or indignant. Kind of like a squeak. xD

De gozaru- An archaic form of "desu". Basically, it means that Kenshin is being super-polite

Juppongatana - "ten swords;" An elite group of 10 men who have their own unique abilities and fight under Shishio

Ne- An affirmative ending to sentences, kind of like "right?"

Sake - rice wine

Ki- One's life energy, or aura

Kami- God, spirit, deity

Engawa- A veranda, or porch

--

AN: Hooooly crap, I updated.

I'm kind of having a hate/hate relationship with this story right now, in case you didn't know.

I'll try to finish it, just for the sake of the people who have been waiting for an update for a year.

Or else I could just tell you all of my story notes in the next update and be done with it... though I somehow doubt that would satisfy.


End file.
